A Little Math Goes a Long Way

Question:
How many calories should I eat if I want to lose weight?

Answer:
There's no magic number of calories we should all eat each day to lose weight. You'll need to assess your own individual caloric needs based on several factors.

First you'll need to figure out how many calories you can eat to stay the weight you're at right now.

Calculate Your BMR

To estimate how many calories you should consume in order to maintain your weight, you'll need to do a little math. By using a simple formula called the Harris-Benedict principle, you can assess your basal metabolic rate -- also known as your BMR.

(Then, to lose weight, you'll need to cut calories or burn extra calories and shoot for a level lower than the results you get with this formula.)

Your BMR is the amount of energy your body needs to function.

We use about 60 percent of the calories we consume each day for basic bodily functions such as breathing.

Other factors that influence your BMR are height, weight, age and sex.

Step one is to calculate your BMR with the following formula:

Women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)

Men: BMR = 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

Q: What is BMI?

A: Today, obesity is most often measured by using a mathematical formula called a Body Mass Index. BMI can be determined by dividing your weight in pounds by your height in inches squared and then multiplying by 705. For example, a woman who is 5'6" and weighs 190 would have a BMI of 31.

Height of 5'6" = 66 inches 66 squared = 4,356 190 divided by 4,356 = 0.0436 0.0436 x 705 = 30.75 (which would be rounded up to a BMI of 31)

Note: This calculation is based on the formula example from: The Calorie Council

Q: What does my BMI mean?